PROV 31:5 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) in case they drink and forget their own laws
⇔ and end up depriving the poor of justice.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Lest he drink and forget what has been decreed
⇔ and pervert the legal claim of all the sons of the afflicted one.

UST They must not do this so that they do not forget the laws that they have made
⇔ and prevent all suffering people from getting what they legally deserve.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE lest they drink, and forget the law,
⇔ and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.

WMBB lest they drink, and forget the decree,
⇔ and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.

NET lest they drink and forget what is decreed,
⇔ and remove from all the poor their legal rights.

LSV Lest he drink, and forget the decree,
And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.

FBV For if they drink, they'll forget what the law says, and pervert the rights of those who are suffering.

T4T If they do that, they forget the laws that they have made,
⇔ and they do not do what is right for poor/afflicted people.

LEB • Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed, and he will pervert the rights[fn] of all the afflicted .[fn]

31:? Hebrew “right”

31:? Literally “sons of affliction”

BBE For fear that through drinking they may come to have no respect for the law, wrongly judging the cause of those who are in trouble.

Moff lest in their cups they forget their law
⇔ and misjudge a case of misery.

JPS Lest they drink, and forget that which is decreed, and pervert the justice due to any that is afflicted.

ASV Lest they drink, and forget the law,
⇔ And pervert the justice due to any that is afflicted.

DRA And lest they drink and forget judgments, and pervert the cause of the children of the poor.

YLT Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.

Drby — lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the children of affliction.

RV Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any that is afflicted.
(Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgement of any that is afflicted. )

SLT Lest he shall drink and forget what is prescribed, and change the judgment of all the sons of affliction.

Wbstr Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

KJB-1769 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.[fn][fn]
(Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgement of any of the afflicted. )

31.5 pervert: Heb. alter

31.5 of any…: Heb. of all the sons of affliction

KJB-1611 [fn][fn]Lest they drinke, and forget the Law, and peruert the iudgement of any of the afflicted.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and footnotes)

31:5 Hebr. alter.

31:5 Hebr. of all the sonnes of affliction.

Bshps Lest they by drnkyng forget the lawe, and peruert the iudgement of all poore mens children.
(Lest they by drnking forget the law, and pervert the judgement of all poor men’s children.)

Gnva Lest he drinke and forget the decree, and change the iudgement of all the children of affliction.
(Lest he drink and forget the decree, and change the judgement of all the children of affliction. )

Cvdl lest they beinge dronken forget the lawe, & regarde not ye cause of the poore, & of all soch as be in aduersite.
(lest they being dronken forget the law, and regard not ye/you_all cause of the poor, and of all such as be in adversity.)

Wycl Lest perauenture thei drynke, and foryete domes, and chaunge the cause of the sones of a pore man.
(Lest peradventure/perhaps they drink, and forget judgements, and change the cause of the sons of a poor man.)

Luth Sie möchten trinken und der Rechte vergessen und verändern die Sache irgend der elenden Leute.
(They/She want drink(v) and the/of_the law/right forget and verändern the matter any the/of_the miserable/poor people/folk.)

ClVg et ne forte bibant, et obliviscantur judiciorum, et mutent causam filiorum pauperis.
(and not perhaps bibant, and let_them_forget judgementrum, and change cause of_children poor. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 31:1–9: Here are the sayings of King Lemuel

The verses in this section were written or collected by King Lemuel. They contain advice that his mother gave him regarding the way that a good king should rule his people. Her advice focuses on a king’s relationships with women (v. 3), the use of intoxicating drink (vv. 4–7) and justice for the poor (vv. 8–9). English versions divide the paragraphs in this section in several ways. The paragraphs in the Notes will be divided according to these three topics. The title (v. 1) and introduction (v. 2) will each form a separate paragraph.

Some other headings for this section are:

What King Lemuel’s Mother Taught Him (CEV)

Advice to a King (GNT)

Wise Words of King Lemuel (NCV)

Paragraph 31:4–7

In this paragraph, Lemuel’s mother advises him about the harm that results when a king or ruler craves alcoholic beverages (31:4–5). She also advises him about the appropriate use of such beverages (31:6–7).

31:5

This verse gives the reason for the warning not to drink in 31:4. The underlined parallel parts describe what will happen if kings do not heed this warning. The part in 31:5b gives a specific example of the part in 31:5a.

^5alest they drink and forget what is decreed,

^5b depriving all the oppressed of justice.

31:5a

lest they drink and forget what is decreed,

For if they drink, they will forget the laws of the country,
When they get drunk, they will forget their responsibilities.

lest they drink: The word lest introduces the bad consequences of ignoring the warning. Some other ways to introduce these consequences are:

For if they drink (NLT)

or else they will drink (NRSV)

When they drink (GNT)

and forget what is decreed: The phrase what is decreed refers to the laws of the country, not to the law of Moses.No commentaries define “what is decreed” as the Mosaic law. Toy (page 540) defines it as “the civil law of the land,” Waltke (page 508) says it refers to “the just decrees already enacted,” and Murphy (page 240) uses the general phrase “neglect of duty.”

they forget what they have decreed (NJB)

they may forget their duties (NLT96)

31:5b

depriving all the oppressed of justice.

and they will ignore the rights of needy/poor people who cannot defend themselves.
Then they will prevent poor and oppressed people from getting justice.

depriving all the oppressed of justice: The purpose of the civil laws was to ensure all people could have justice, especially the oppressed. The king was responsible to uphold these laws and to ensure that poor people were treated fairly.

depriving: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as depriving is literally “change.” In this verse, the word refers to a change that hurts oppressed people. For example:

and change the standard of justice for all oppressed people (GW)

A drunken king could not think clearly about the laws. He either ignored them or incorrectly interpreted their meaning. The result was that the “oppressed” were prevented from getting “justice.”Hubbard (page 475) speaks of overriding the regulations. UBS (page 649) says that the word “change” here clearly refers to “taking away the rights of defenseless people.”

oppressed: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as oppressedThe word “oppressed” is literally “sons of oppression.” The word “oppression” (ʿoni) is the noun form of (ʿani). For a list of other verses with this word, see the footnote on “the needy” in 14:21b. refers to people who are poor. It emphasizes that they suffer some kind of distress or disability. Because such people have low status in society, their lives are difficult. Others often oppress them. Some other ways to translate this word are:

all the poor (NJB)

people in need (GNT)

Some other ways to translate this line are:

and violate the rights of all who are in need (NAB)

and alter the course of justice for all the poor and afflicted (VOICE)

and keep the needy from getting their rights (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

יִ֭שְׁתֶּה

drink

Here, he refers to the kings and dignitaries mentioned in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “those kings or dignitaries drink”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

מְחֻקָּ֑ק

decreed

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. This phrase refers to the laws of the country that these kings or dignitaries rule over. Alternate translation: “what the law decrees” or “their laws”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וִֽ֝⁠ישַׁנֶּה דִּ֣ין

and,he_will_change rights_of

Here, pervert the legal claim refers to depriving people of their legal rights. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “and deny the legal rights of”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

דִּ֣ין כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֹֽנִי

rights_of all/each/any/every sons_of oppression

Here, the legal claim and the afflicted one refer to claims and afflicted people in general, not a specific claim or afflicted one. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “any legal claim of all the sons of any afflicted person”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

בְּנֵי־עֹֽנִי

sons_of oppression

Here, the sons of the afflicted one refers to afflicted people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “afflicted people”

Parallel PROV 31:5

Section 31:1–9: Here are the sayings of King Lemuel

Paragraph 31:4–7

31:5

31:5a

31:5b